London to Brighton Bike Ride, and not using the train to get your bike there

[whole diary]

[Surrey 455]

I have been to Brighton on one or two occasions when the bike ride took place although I did not know about it until I got there. I remember seeing lots of vans on Madeira Drive being packed with bikes for the journey back.

[CyclingSid]

In a statement on Twitter, the rail company confirmed that bicycles will not be permitted on Southern or Thameslink trains from the start of service on Sunday (September 19) until midday.

Nothing new, has been the situation for many years. The event has obviously survived despite the inconvenience.

[broadgage]

Indeed, but the organisers, not the rail industry, needs to organise it and hire it!

Not sure about that, is it really the job of event organisers to to arrange for RAILWAY rolling stock provision ?

Are organisers of events at the proposed Bristol arena expected to hire trains for events ?
Are the FA expected to hire trains for cup finals ?
Or the West country tourist trade to "organise and hire" trains for their customers.

IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion'), it is up to "the railway" to provide within reason for the needs of their fare payers, this includes both regular commuters and leisure travel including special events.
I know that the mantra is "there is no spare rolling stock, and we cant justify buying or leasing extra stock for once a year events"

Once a year events are in total numerous enough that extra rolling stock IS JUSTIFIED not for any one event, but in total.
Easter weekend, the pre Christmas and post Christmas rush, other bank holidays, airshows, cup finals, rugby internationals, boardmasters, Glastonbury, Reading festival, beginnings and ends of university terms, connecting with cruise ships, and other  events, if considered in total DO justify a reserve of rolling stock.
Loco hauled, and of generous length Perhaps 2 first class and 8 standard class coaches as the standard MINIMUM formation, with a small number of luggage vans, catering vehicles, or extra seated coaches that may be added according to the nature of the event.

[paul7575]

How come this story gets re-run every year?  Typically there’s 15,000 bikes involved. Back when they brought out the grottiest Mk 1 rolling stock with the seat cushions removed, there was nothing like the present day numbers.

Expecting the railway to deal with the modern London to Brighton numbers is ridiculous IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion'), and the event organisers have been fully aware of this for donkey’s years…

Paul